JetLites
F-1
Lights

Product Description

JetLites first entry into the cordless market is cleared for takeoff. The first light in the new F-LITE Series is now available in limited quantities. The F-1 is a spot that throws out 550 Lumens and weighs in at 180 grams. There are three settings, High/Med/Emergency Low, with 1 hour 40 minutes run time on high. The cordless F-1 is powered by the newest Panasonic Lithium Ion cells, boasting 3.1 Ah. The battery is easily removed in the field and gives the rider the option of carrying a second battery to extend runtimes. The charger is built to accommodate two batteries and includes a 12v DC car adapter. The F-LITE Series: F-1 is designed to fit all current mounting systems from JetLites and other mounting systems such as picatinny rail mounts will be available in the future. A complete system comes with F-1, one Panasonic cell, helmet mount, and charger.Mtbr Bike Lights Shootout - over 50 bike lights reviewed, photographed and measured here.

The Jet Lites F-1 is a late arrival to this year’s night riding season but that just means they’ve had time to evolve their design and wait for the best components available. What they sent us is a true work of art in terms of construction and design. In a field of exciting but crowded self-contained bike lights, the scientists at Jet Lites managed to come up with a light that is truly high end like Lupine and Exposure but is affordable at $179. Continue reading →

User Reviews

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by
Peter shaw
a Cross Country Rider

Date Reviewed: October 27, 2012

Strengths: I ordered the f1 and received the FU2 light because it was just released by jet lights what can you say about that kind of service sweet these guys are great to deal with and back there product big time the light is awesome and the two mounts work great bar mount and head mount it's nice to know your not going to get hung up on somthing with there safety release helmet mount lucky enough to not use it yet

Weaknesses: None

Bottom Line:

Service outstanding lite is sweet totally cool unit would recommend to anyone buy this thing will not be sorry

Strengths: no separate battery pack but still enough capacity to last for a long ride
light enough to not notice
field replaceable battery
cheap and easy to replace battery
wicked bright with a nice pattern for helmet mount
comes from a small company who cars about individual customers
low cost
customer service
useful off the bike as a normal flashlight

Weaknesses: first unit i received only operated in medium. i emailed them the next day and i had the replacement 2 days later. they were cool with me using the original while i waited too. awesome customer service.

Bottom Line:

I'm really loving this light. I've only had it for a couple weeks but i'm comfortable doing the review now because a friend i ride with weekly got one early this season and it's been trouble free. There are now 3 of these in my night riding gang along with a dozen other high end lights from the rest of the field for comparison.

The whole field of lights has made some incredible progress in the last couple years with increased brightness and lower cost which makes it hard to go wrong if you do just a little homework. That said I see the the F1 as a standout for a couple reasons.

I'm so done with wiring my helmet to my pack so i really wanted a light with an integrated battery. The F1 is the first integrated light i found that is both bright enough to not leave you wanting more light and has enough battery life to go for a 3 hr ride.

On top of that the field replaceable battery lets you bring enough juice for any length ride. Because they use a standard cell instead of making a custom pack (out of the same standard cells) you can carry as many as you want without breaking the bank. They are 20$ from Jet and more like 10$ from some internet vendor. Think about how much it would cost you to buy 2 or 3 extra packs for one of the other lights in this class.

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by
Scott
a All Mountain Rider

Date Reviewed: May 26, 2012

Strengths: The light is removed by pressing a tab and you have an awesome flashlight the size of a mini Maglight, but the power of Zeus. Color is beam is good. Very bright. The variety of uses was a key selling point. When I'm camping, Dirt biking, working on something at night, etc., I can use this...Bingo.. I've lugged around previous Mtb lights, and its a pain...But no mas.

Weaknesses: Previous review mentioned charging issues. Will monitor. Having previous experience with Jet, but no breakages, sure they will correct deficiencies, hopefully asap...Time is money and mediocre or worse reviews.

Bottom Line:

I've owned NRs, as well as others. Had a Phantom Jetlite, loved it, but used it as an added option to sell a previous Mtb, and it sold quickly. NR completely shafted me on a warranty issue and I told them to pound sand, threw the light away in disgust, and went back to Jet which I should've done, because of previous experiences. I want confidence, friendliness, answers to sometmes silly questions, and I want them quickly like most people..Got it...

Strengths: brightness, simplicity, wire free, burn time at full power.

Weaknesses: attachment clip, battery charger, Jet Lites operations

Bottom Line:

As a former Jet Lites owner (starfire dual beam bar mount), I had a good experience with the small, but dedicated group that was Jet Lites, breaking into a new world of night riding for us dedicated mountain bikers. So naturally, with a glowing review on the F-1 here on MTBR, buying my new light set from an old supplier seemed like a no brainer. Although I could get a light set from dealextreme.com (knock off of the MagicShine MJ-808) for $45 shipped, I thought I would stick with Canadian and American made parts and support the good 'local' businesses, who were putting out high quality and customer service.

The light set took about 3 or so weeks to get to me after I ordered it (took about 5-7 business days for JL to process my order). When I received it, the clip was missing, so I called JL and David Joseph (the owner) promised to send me out a clip the next day. Ok, these things happen. So I took the light out for a hike in the park nearby a couple of days later - loved the light, it was amazing! Bright, lasted the advertised time, great. When I tried to charge the batteries after the first night out, I discovered, to my disappointment, that the charger wasn't working! Ok, call David again, leave a message, get a call from him a few days later, sorry about the charger, I'll send a new one with the clip immediately. Wait?! Didn't he promise to send a clip out the next day almost a week before?

Ok, so now, three weeks from my first call for the clip, the replacement charger arrives, as does the clip. When I screw the clip into the light body, it cracks, and a piece falls off. Ok, not happy. I now have owned the light for about 6 weeks and have missed numerous night rides for no good reason, so I'm a little cranky about the situation. I called David again yesterday, and assume I'll see the replacement clip, which I'll see in another 2 or 3 weeks. So overall 8 to 9 weeks will have passed before my $220 light sees the trail.

Additionally, the charger that came with the light set seems to be a rebadged Ultrafire WF-139 charger, which has a reputation for being a mediocre charger (you can find them online for about $10-$20 apiece); price doesn't mean much, but overall, not a confidence inspiring selection.

Many of my friends with the $50 dealxtreme light sets (many light sets, to boot, and they all work great, especially for the money), thought I was silly and idealistic when I bought these lights, and that I just should have ordered directly from China. I'm starting to agree with them.

I'd love to give Jet Lites a better rating on the light set, but when i'm paying 5x the price of a comparable Chinese light set for the North American made stuff (which is not all made in North America anyway, it seems), I expect a level of service and quality that is far beyond what i've experienced with this purchase from Jet lites.

Overall, awesome potential for this light and what Jet lites can offer next based on this idea, but a few key missteps (weak mounting clip, mediocre battery charger, slow response times and mediocre warehouse quality control) has me looking seriously at other options for the bar mounted system I plan to buy next.

Awesome product! Not having to deal with a separate battery pack is great. Plenty of light for single track descents at speed. I carry a spare battery and it easy enough to swap out in complete darkness (done it).

Never was thrilled with any prior light purchase, but absolutely love this one.